Danger in the Stars (Redux!)

docsc00ter

I've just published a variation of my "Danger in the Stars" adventure. I've received notes from folks who have begun using that adventure for a quick, solo-friendly "daily" dungeon, and I wanted to offer a variation on the quest just to keep things interesting.

The basic storyline of the quest -- seen at the beginning and end of the adventure -- remains the same. But the heart of the adventure provides dramatically different possibilities.

In the "Classic" version, players have to choose one of three paths in order to finish the quest:

• The Vault of the Dead -- an eerie tomb filled with unliving dangers
• The Hall of Shadows -- a little slice of the Underdark, with drow and spiders
• The Cavern of Flame -- a hellish inferno of devilish enemies

In the "Redux" version, players can choose from different paths:

• The Boneshatter Ruins -- tunnels under an old fortress that is now occupied by orcs
• The Blissful Glade -- a rich, growing grotto of vain, cruel elves
• The Frozen Hollow -- icy caverns occupied by the chilling Uldra

All six paths include a hidden location where the player might find help for the adventure (though only if the player took a little time to explore the village at the beginning of the quest and gather a necessary item).

The heart of all six paths from these two quests is an effort to create richly detailed environments to explore. There are a lot of little elements, dramatic lighting, effects, etc., and I hope that each of the six paths offers a unique and attractive gaming locale to explore.

As always, publishing a new quest (even a revised one) introduces the possibility of bugs, typos, and other problems. I've tried to troubleshoot these for the "Redux" edition, but would greatly appreciate a little feedback from the community. If you have 15-20 minutes to run the "Redux" and scout for issues, that would be awesome. And, of course, I'm always happy to return the favor.

Thanks!
Scooter

docsc00ter

*...listens to the crickets...*

Wow. Really? Nothing? Nobody? Oh well...

I'll keep cranking out the Dumedalot adventures anyways. I still enjoy crafting the environments and the questing experience. And if anyone else wants to trade reviews and share the troubleshooting process, keep me in mind...

reiwulf

I've played most of these and I enjoy them a lot, I'll be sure to give it a try when I log in to the game next time!

beckylunatic

I will play all your stuff when I get the chance, but I have no trades to offer and limited time.

docsc00ter

Thanks, guys.

The "classic" version of the quest has seen plenty of play and seems to be working well. It's the "redux" version that can use another pair of eyes to make sure everything is working properly. I really appreciate it!

orangefiree

I played through this yesterday. The only issue I noticed was the elven snipers carrying swords.

docsc00ter

orangefiree wrote: »

I played through this yesterday. The only issue I noticed was the elven snipers carrying swords.

Never could trust those elves...

(Thanks. I'll see if I can change 'em out.)

mrgiggles651

Noticed the elven snipers with swords as well. Also I'd expected green instead of black open space, to emphasize the "glade" aspect, and having more glad instead of the mini set of rooms.

docsc00ter

I'm changing out (or, at least, renaming) the "snipers" today. (Oddly they don't show up with swords in the Foundry, so it must be subbing them for a random minion... interesting...)

Not sure how to make it more "green" short of an interior fog that's activated when following that path through the adventure and then shuts off when re-entering the Astral Pocket. I tried it, but everything looked brightly lit for some reason. And... hmm... gaseous. Sort of toxic. Like a green haze or smoke filling the place. Instead of "mysterious and deep" it took on a totally different feel. So I filled the place with lots of lighting effects just to make it feel a bit more like an overgrown grotto at night or something.

I'm also trying to keep all paths about equal in difficulty (though some classes will certainly find some configurations of enemies easier than others). So I want to keep the length of each path, the time it takes to get through the rooms, and the difficulty of the encounters about the same.

I actually started work on an entirely "overgrown" version of the village of Dumedalot at one point, but haven't finished that quest. The village map is done, and it's pretty wild -- huge, tangled roots, plants choking out the ruins of the houses, etc. Maybe I'll see if that can turn into a quest at some point...

manplow

I ran through this one with a team this evening. We got through it in what felt like two minutes, so I guess that's good for dailies while the average time lasts. We had an impatient young man in the party who forced us out before we could write a review, however. Sorry for that. I really liked the fair and the interior map.